Means for flexibly connecting parts of a vehicle to a frame.



PATENTED JAN. 7, 1908.

E. J. GULIGK. MEANS FOR PLEXIBLY CONNECTING PARTS 0F A VEHICLE T0 A' FRAME.

APPLIGATION FILED PEB.21,1907.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD J. GULICK, OF MISI-IAWARA, INDIANA MEANS FOR FLEXIBLY CONNECTING PARTS OF A VEHICLE TO A FRAME.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. '7, 1908.

Application filed February 21. 1907. Serial No. 358.712.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, EDWARD J. GUL'ICK,

a citizen of the United States, residing at` .M1shaw'aka, in thel county of St. Joseph and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means vf or Flexibly Securing Parts of a Vehicle to the Vehicle- Frame, of which the following is a specificatlon.

The invention consists broadlyin a Ilexible' connection between a vehicle frame and a part supported thereon, and is designed more especially for the attachment of a radiator for a motor vehicle to the vehicle frame. The radiator of. a motor vehicle is generally placed at the extreme front end of the veiicle frame and is rigidly secured thereto. This construction is faulty in that when the ground contacting points ofthe four wheels of the vehicle do not lie in the same plane, as for instance, when a wheel encounters an obstacle in the roadway that raises it above the other Wheels, there is an unequal movement between the side bars of the frame which results in a strain exerted upon the radiator where it is attached to the frame, which strain or twisting action results in injury to the radiator and necessitates frequent repairs.

The 'main object of my lnvention thereforel is to provide a flexible connection between the frame and the part to be sup- 'ported whereby one side of the frame may e bent or sprung from the norr'nal plane of the frame and not result in injury to a part su ported thereonv and secured thereto.

. n the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is al perspective elevation of a vehicle frame with a radiator secured thereto; and Fig. 2

isa sectional end elevation on line 2 2 of 1, wlth the radiator broken away.

Ieferring now more particularly to the drawing, 3 and 4 re resent the side bars of a vehicle frame of-c' annel form, as shown, and 5 re resents as a whole a radiator; 6 being the ash of the vehicle, and 7 the crank handle for the same, the parts mentioned being of the ordinary construction. To the opposite vertical edges of the radiator are Asecured the brackets 8, by any Well known means such as soldering, bolts or the like, the brackets having in the under side thereof the socket member 9 of a ball and socket joint.` Upon the frame and rigidly secured thereto in any Well known manner 1s the ball member 10, of the ball and socket joint, and

passing through the bracket 8 and ball 10 is the bolt 11 which extends into the channel frame-bar and carries the spring 12 which is held between the under side of the frame-bar 4and the end of' the bolt 11 by means of the with a construction a's just described which is secured to either side of the frame, and the tension of the spring 12 is sufiicientto yieldingly hold the radiator in its proper position. As a further means for securing the radiator and to keep it in its proper place I provide a spacer or .pivot bar 14 that is loosely pivoted to the dash, as shown at 15,

as well as loosely pivoted to the radiator, as'

sho-wn at 16, which pivot bar maintains the radiator in its proper vertical position.

lWhen an obstacle is encountered in the roadway by one of the wheels, letl us assume it to be the rear wheel on the side frame 3, the frame 3 would be lraised at its rear end, which would tend to lower the end at which the radiator is attached thereto.. This would throw the side bars 3 and 4 vslightly out of parallelism and if it were not for the construction herein -shown it would result in a strain coming upon' the brackets'S where they-are attached to the radiator and thereby tend to pull them therefrom, but in the present construction the side bar 3 would tend to compress the spring 12 slightl moving the ball 10 within the socket 9 an there-i by avoid throwing any strain upon the bracket where it is attached to theradiator, as well as upon the radiator itself. The

bracket on the side bar 4 would operate ihequal eflciency upon any part of the vehicle nor'do I limit myself to the precise construe- 'tion shown for making the llexible conneetion, and'therefore without confining myself to the specific, details I claim:

1. In combination with a frame member', and a supported member, ol: e socket on one of said members end a ball on the other member to constitute a, ball and socket joint, n, bolt'extending through seid members, and a spring surrounding the lower end of the shank of said bolt and secured beneath seid frame member, whereby seid frame and snpported members are yieldingly secured together, substantially as described 2. In a motor vehicle, in combination, a frame member and a radiator member supported. by said freine member, ot o, socket on one ol' sztitlrn'ieinbers :nul it bell on the other member to constitute :t bell :nul soeket joint, :L bolt extending through seid bell :intl socket joint, :L spring surrounding the lower end ot: the shank ol' said bolt :nel seenreil beneath, sititl freine member whereby ssi-itl traine :tml radiator are yielilingly eeenreil together, :tml a pivot bor eonneetetl to son] rmlizitor :xml to :i support on Suhl vehicle to hold seid rn, dieter in its` proper vertical position, substantially es described.

lDINARl) J. G'U'liltlx'.

l/Vitnessoe:

L. F. MMnnm, GEORGE NV. lloYT. 

